Tag Archives: lemons

These days it’s completely normal to follow up advice some stranger on the internet gives you. For some reason, we automatically think that whatever sounds right, must be right. There are a million skin care DIY’s, tips and tricks out there, telling you how to take care of your skin. But are they really all safe?

For example, you’re desperately looking for ways to lighten your skin tone and you find this professional looking blog. It says that you should apply pure lemon juice on your face, every morning and night. The writer claims that you’ll see a difference within 4 weeks of consistent applying. There are so many people who won’t doubt the advice and start putting lemon juice directly to their face that same night, without realizing how much they’re damaging their face.

In this post I’ll go through some products you should never put on your face, no matter who says it. You’ll have to deal with your precious skin for your entire life so better take good care of it, right?

1. Toothpaste

To be honest, applying toothpaste on your face isn’t that harmful at all. Many kinds of toothpaste contain antibacterial ingredients, which is why lots of people use it as an acne-remedy. The thing is, when we feel it burning, we think it’s working. Don’t get me wrong, toothpaste works great against acne but don’t get too excited and apply it 5 times a day. Keep it on once every other day, because it will irritate and dry out your skin which will increase your acne or cause scars.

2. Lemon juice

Lemon juice is known as a skin brightener for ages, because of the citric acid. There are a lot of bloggers out there telling you to mix lemon juice with honey or baking soda and use it as a face mask, and you would happily do it. But the thing you don’t know is that lemon juice is highly acidic which can permanently damage your skin (e.g. changing your skin’s natural pH-balance). If you still want to use lemon juice on your face, make sure you mix it with water ( 50% water and 50% lemon juice).

3. Apple cider vinegar (ACV)

Apple cider vinegar is believed to dry out acne without leaving any scars, which is true because ACV contains acetic acid. But just like lemon juice, using pure ACV will burn and irritate your skin. There’s no harm in using it, as long as you mix it with water (50% water and 50% apple cider vinegar).

Tip: Make sure your apple cider vinegar isn’t too old. As it grows old, the water leaves the vinegar which makes it stronger and more harmful to your face.

4. Baking Soda

You’ll find many beauty bloggers and experts talking about baking soda scrubs and how great it works for your skin. Baking soda is indeed an effective skin brightener but you don’t wanna use it directly on your face. It contains a high alkaline level which will mess with your face’s natural pH balance. Dermatologists recommend using baking soda with your regular face cleanser or coconut oil, to create your own scrub. (Lots of scrubbing and exfoliating is not supported by dermatologists, scrubbing once a week is all your face need.)

5. Cleansing brush

Electric cleansing brushes (e.g. Clarisonic) are really popular these days. They thoroughly cleanse and scrub your face at the same time, but everyday usage of the cleansing brush is discouraged by dermatologists. Everyday usage can cause irritation and roughly open pores which will result in acne flares and other skin problems. Try using your the cleansing brush every 2 or 3 days to avoid damaging your skin.

6. Mayonnaise

Mayonnaise works great for hair but don’t consider putting it on your face. Just like lemon juice and vinegar, mayonnaise is highly acidic. It will result in clogging your pores, causing skin irritations. If you still want to use mayonnaise in your beauty routine, make sure to use it on your dry hair or scalp. Just keep it away from your cheeks.

7. Hot water

Your skin needs moisturizing, which is created by the top layer of your face. Many people like to use hot water on their skin because it eliminates bacterias but it will also strip away the protective layer and the natural oils on your face. Always remember to wash your face with lukewarm (or even cold) water.

I hope this post made you more aware that you shouldn’t put everything on your face, not even when your favorite blogger says so. I think the most important tip here is: Whenyou’re about to use a highly acidic product like vinegar or lemon juice, always mix it with water.